Within days, Ms Cheong raised the $250,000 she had asked for to pay her father's medical bills and fly him home.

On Sunday, after doctors assessed that Mr Cheong was in a stable condition and fit for air travel, Ms Cheong arranged for an emergency evacuation with medical assistance company EMA Global.

"His vitals had remained stable since, throughout the flight back home," she wrote in an update on Give.Asia yesterday.

But after they arrived at Seletar Airport and were on their way to the hospital, Mr Cheong's heart condition suddenly deteriorated.

Thank you for bringing my father back to Singapore, thank you for allowing us to say our final goodbyes on home ground. Ms Eileen Cheong

He died shortly after.

In the update, Ms Cheong wrote: "Even though we were aware of the unpredictability of his condition, his passing still comes as a shock to my family.

"Despite all of this, we are grateful he still made it back home eventually."

THANKS

She thanked everyone who made the medical evacuation possible, from the donors to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Thank you for bringing my father back to Singapore, thank you for allowing us to say our final goodbyes on home ground.

"And thank you, to my relatives and close friends, who have been by my side throughout.

"This is an extremely difficult time for my mum and me, and we will really appreciate all the space and privacy we can get to come to terms with the loss of my father and to make the necessary arrangements," she wrote.

Further updates on how the donations have been used, and what the family will do with any excess funds, will be provided on Give.Asia, she added.